Where to get the best coffee in Brisbane for your caffeine fix

Even though Toby’s Estate only opened its flagship Brisbane café in 2024, these guys are no strangers to Australia’s coffee connoisseurs. They’ve been frothing and brewing high-end coffee since 1997, crafting each cup with distinct processing methods, regions and varietals. You can watch their baristas in action from front-row seats at the espresso or filter bars, and quiz them on their Freezus menu (high-end coffee frozen at its peak), featuring award-winning roasts that have been the toast of Toby’s for years. The Newstead café doubles as a roastery too, so you can be sure that wafts of fresh caffeine are adrift across the timber-clad drinkery.

Time Out tip: If you’re equally excited by interiors as you are coffee, then Toby’s Estate is the place to be. Designed by an award-winning architecture firm down in Melbourne, the round café is set around a central bar where you can watch the magic in the making, no matter where you’re sat.

Address: 1/33 Longland St, Newstead

To celebrate its 20th birthday in 2023, Single O launched its very first Brisbane coffee bar in Newstead. As the leaders in Australia’s coffee industry, these guys were one of the first on the scene to promote single-origin coffee beans and the distinctive flavour profiles they yield. Today, co-founders Emma and Dion Cohen have pioneered a self-serve batch brew bar, riffing on beer taps. Pour yourself an iced oat latte or a cold brew from their roster of single-origin beans. You will always be in safe hands with their Reservoir blend, though, which has a gentle, fruity acidity. Get to know their smaller batch, single-origin beans by ordering a filter flight.

Time Out tip: Come for the coffee, stay for the food. Single O’s menu is ever-so enticing, and they’re known to dish out some of the best bacon and egg brekkie rolls in town. Take it away and stroll 30 seconds eastward for a bite by the riverside.

Address: 16 Austin St, Newstead

No matter what city you’re in (Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane), you’ll always feel the calm familiarity of an Industry Beans with its sleek, white minimalist interiors. That is, if you haven’t already been put at ease by the smell of their nation-famous coffee. In more recent years, Industry Beans has changed the game with their bubble coffee: their cold brew with coffee-soaked tapioca pearls and what they like to call ‘consoy’ (a blend of soy and condensed milk). Those looking for a creative cold brew that’s slightly more traditional will love their Fitzroy iced, which infuses wattleseed and panela.

Time Out tip: Cocktails and wine are a big hit at Industry Beans’ leafy Newstead locale. Perch up on the porch with an inventive Cold Brew Negroni and Newstead Espresso Martini or a classic Mimosa and Aperol Spritz in hand.

Address: Multiple locations, including Brisbane and Newstead

Local favourite Blackstar has been a pioneering force in our roasting and barista culture since 2007. Founder Martin Richards established Blackstar when he returned from New Zealand with a mission to bring specialty coffee to Brisbane. The roastery’s commitment to sustainability and community continues to set it apart, and it has partnered with Trees.org and Landcare Australia to establish Coffee for Trees, which involves planting three trees for every kilo of coffee sold. In 2022, Blackstar went  completely carbon neutral, giving you yet another reason to pop in for a truly great cup of coffee.

Time Out tip: Feeling famished? Blackstar's café in West End has got your back with their breakfast options. Dig in.

Address: Locations in East Brisbane and West End

The New Black is a bright, stylish café, right opposite The Beat Megaclub in Fortitude Valley. It's one of the main puzzle pieces in Bakery Lane, the design and hospitality development that's one of the nicest things to happen to a grungy part of town. For those seeking really good coffee, brekkies made with flair and a warm welcome, the café delivers on all fronts. Carrara's Parallel Roasters supplies the beans and they're deployed with plenty of punch by the barista team, which operates in a separate section of the café out the back that fronts onto the lane. They make a fantastic cup of joe here with that special blend of Brazilian, Colombian and Papua New Guinean beans, powerful enough to get you going, its satisfying bitterness tempered with a dark chocolate edge. 

Time Out tip: If you're interested in expanding your caffeine palate, you can get a coffee-tasting board, or opt for the star on the menu – espresso waffles.

Address: 694 Ann St, Fortitude Valley

Housed in a converted bomb shelter – hence the name – this vine-covered hole-in-the-wall is known for dishing out some of the best coffee to be found in the café heartland of Milton. Drop by and relax in the sun with one of Bunker's iced specialties or batch brews. There are plenty of take-home options, including a full range of beans and home brewing products, as well as the rather special casks of Colombian cold brew – another go-to for Brisbane’s sweltering summers. Add in a fully stocked cake and pastry selection from Cosmos Cakes and Chouquette, and you are well and truly looked after at Bunker.

Time Out tip: Bring your furry friend along for the ride – Bunker is all about organic dog treats and even brings out themed bikkies for Easter and whatnot. 

Address: 21 Railway Tce, Milton

Death Before Decaf is a one-of-a-kind experience – a 24-hour metal music-loving, skate scene espresso bar. That’s right, this place serves coffee and tunes 24/7, meaning you’ll never have to go without that caffeine fix ever again. Located opposite the cinemas on Brunswick Street in New Farm, Death Before Decaf was born when owners Carl and Nicola channelled their love of coffee, tats and heavy metal into a space that is as unique, unpretentious and welcoming as they are. The café has quickly become a favourite within the music and skate scene, as well as appealing to shift and service workers. The Death Before Decaf team is also committed to keeping it local, serving up single-origin brews from neighbourhood fave Black Mass Roasters.

Time Out tip: Situated in the inner-city suburb of New Farm, Death Before Decaf invites you to make the most of the locale and take a coffee stroll through the tree-lined streets.

Address: 3/760-766 Brunswick St, New Farm

Coffee Mentality is something of a mini-empire, built on changing the way we think about and drink coffee, one cup at a time. What sets this café apart is its coffee-tasting experiences, where coffee lovers will sample a flight of single-origin pour-overs, including their very own urban-grown beans. Established in an effort to minimise the environmental impact of coffee, their award-winning Urban Coffee Project saw the release of Brisbane’s first urban-grown coffee. Coffee Mentality also works closely with coffee growers in founder Ian Abadiano’s home country of the Philippines by supporting sustainable initiatives and ensuring fair pay and working conditions.

Time Out tip: If it’s grab-and-go you’re after, head to the South Brisbane outpost for quick caffeine and sandwiches. If it’s an experience you’re on the hunt for, Coffee Mentality’s Woolloongabba roastery is all systems go for training and education alike.

Address: Locations in South Brisbane, Stones Corner and Woolloongabba